Synopsis
Essy Havers is good at finding things. Her company specialises in helping clients track down anything, from missing china pieces to rare vintage clothing. But now Essy has something more important to find: herself.
Essy has always been curious about her mother’s secret past and her Cornish roots. So, when the opportunity arises, she hops on a plane in Tennessee and ends up in Herring Bay in Cornwall; the village where her mother grew up.
But once there, she’s mystified by the reactions of the villagers when they realise who she is. Was Essy’s decision to visit Cornwall a mistake, or will it lead to a summer she’ll never forget?
Angela Britnell
Angela was born in St. Stephen, Cornwall, England. After completing her A-Levels she worked as a Naval Secretary. She met her husband, a US Naval Flight Officer while being based at a small NATO Headquarters on the Jutland Peninsula in Denmark. They lived together in Denmark, Sicily, California, southern Maryland and London before settling in Franklin, Tennessee.
Angela took a creative writing course in 2000 and loved it so much that she has barely put her pen down since. She has had short stories and novels published in the US. Her novel Sugar & Spice, won Choc Lit’s Search for an American Star competition and was her UK debut.
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FREE Audio Story
Listen to this lovely FREE audio short story from Angela Britnell.
The Mincemeat Hunt by Angela Britnell narrated by Anne Dover. Click the play button to listen.
Essy is a professional searcher who is hired to travel to England to collect some sand from beaches her client visited as a child. She takes the opportunity to visit the town her mother where her mother grew up but won’t talk to Essy about it. Essy gets a lot more than she bargained for when she opens up old wounds. Adding to that, she falls for the son of her mother’s enemy, but love conquers all, right?
I really enjoyed reading this book – it was charming and fun to read.
This is a very interesting romance set in well described Cornwall. The characters are very well portrayed and believable. I enjoyed following Essy’s adventures and tribulations as she visits her mother’s birth place. The problems Essy encouters in the small village are both helped and exacerbated by her relationship with Ruan. Family history plays a massive part in the story and is both the beginning and end. This is a real page Turner which I thoroughly enjoyed as I’m sure you will too.
What a smasher! I knew I was going to like this one almost immediately – when she named her SatNav Annabelle – mine is called James ….. I thoroughly enjoyed the read – couldn’t put it down to go to bed, so that was another late night/early morning. The story flows very well, and the fairly obvious ‘secret’ was revealed relatively soon, before I got bored with trying to guess, with a few side issues thrown in – all being resolved most satisfactorily in the end. The sex is more suggested than explicit, so right in my wheelhouse. I have no hesitation in giving it top marks.
Perfect summer read. Set in Cornwall this is a story of secrets and lies. When Essy decides to travel from her native Tennessee to visit the Cornish village where her mother grew up, why does she face hostility from everyone? Throw in the enigmatic local guy Ruan who has secrets of his own and you have a fabulous story. Highly recommend!
If you have a need to own the quirky or the unusual then hire Essy, her company’s speciality is to search and find, bizarre requests always accepted. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, her latest commission is to collect mementoes from some of his favourite Cornish beaches for a 90-year old man. She decides to combine business with pleasure on her trip to England by visiting her mother’s childhood home of Herring Bay. Her mother has refused to talk about the village that she left aged seventeen, so Essy plans some detective work.
Essy’s aunt Molly is astonished and delighted at the surprise appearance of her niece in Herring Bay and invites her to stay in her home.
Attempting to discover the reason for her mother’s unwillingness to speak about her early life, Essy begins to ask questions. On learning she’s Paula Barnecutt’s daughter many of the villagers avoid her, eventually Essy hears a rumour that Paula left with a married man.
As Essy continues to seek the truth about her mother’s early life she meets Ruan Pascow. There’s an instant attraction between the two, but his father and Paula disappeared from the village at the same time. It seems that they ran off together and the two families haven’t spoken since.
During the Cornish summer many long hidden secrets of the two families are uncovered.
Nicely written and an entertaining read.